Hot Pockets were invented by Paul Merage and David Merage in the 1970s. They founded the company Chef America Inc. and began producing Hot Pockets in 1983, which is when it landed in grocery stores. In 2002 Chef America was sold to Nestlé, and (as of 2012) Hot Pocket products are "now a $4.5 billion category of frozen sandwiches and snacks".[1] Breakfast style Hot Pockets were introduced in 2001. [2]

Citing reduced sales, in 2012 Nestlé announced that it would cut employee numbers at its California factory.[3] Euromonitor International data shows U.S. sales falling from $614 in 2010 to $30 million in 2013. [4]

Paul Grimwood took over Nestlé SA's struggling U.S. operations in 2012. In an attempt to bolster the failing brand by improving supply chain, Grimwood made the decision to drop the calzone version of Hot Pockets and the quesadillas Lean Pockets, reducing the number of doughs needed.[5]

Comedian Jim Gaffigan is well known for his material poking fun at Hot Pockets. This material is so popular among fans that he is regularly offered Hot Pockets while on tour.[6] The Huns in the comic strip Wizard of Id served a trojan Hot Pocket to win the ever ongoing war against the King of Id, by letting them kill themselves slowly.[7]

In 2012 Hot Pockets partnered with Snoop Dogg to create the music video, "Pocket Like its Hot", which became an overnight sensation. [8]

In 2014 Nestle USA recalled over 238,000 cases of its Hot Pockets because they may contain meat that were included in a massive recall of nearly 9 million pounds of "diseased and unsound" beef products. The U.S. department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service officials said the meat was recalled because the firm used diseased and unsound animals. [9]

1 Currently manufactured by General Mills in the United States. Produced by Cereal Partners under the Nestlé brand elsewhere. 2 Brand owned by General Mills; US and Canadian production rights controlled by Nestlé under license.3 US production rights owned by The Hershey Company. 4 Canadian production rights owned by The Hershey Company. 5 US rights and production owned by Smarties Candy Company, with a different product.6 US rights and specific trade dress owned by Nestlé; rights elsewhere owned by Associated British Foods. 7 Produced by Cereal Partners, branded as Nestlé. 8 Produced by Cereal Partners, and Branded Nestlé in The United Kingdom, and Ireland. Produced by Post Foods, elsewhere.